Salmon Stock Assessment Technician - Scientific Technician 2 - Non-Perm - 2026-05325

State of Washington • Jefferson County - Port Townsend, WA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

This dynamic role involves operating adult traps, conducting spawning surveys, performing biological sampling, and entering and summarizing data for the area biologist. The collected data will be used for stock assessment, recovery, planning, and research, particularly concerning ESA-listed species. The position is full-time and seasonal, lasting 4.5 months from August 16, 2026, to December 31, 2026, based in Port Townsend, Washington.

Requirements

• Graduation from high school or GED, including one year of high school science, and two (2) years of experience as a Scientific Technician 1.
• OR Graduation from high school or GED, including one year of high school science, and two (2) years of laboratory or field experience as an assistant to a biologist, chemist, or zoologist.
• College course work involving major study in biology, zoology, fisheries, chemistry, natural sciences, or closely allied field will substitute year-for-year for experience, provided the course work includes at least six semester or nine quarter hours of natural science classes.
• Valid driver’s license.

Nice To Haves

• Capability to identify river stage salmonids, and other game fish species.
• Knowledge of the watersheds and fisheries of Jefferson County.
• Experience with salmonid sampling for length, sex, scales, DNA, and otoliths.
• Experience conducting spawning ground surveys for salmonids.

Responsibilities

• Conducting Summer Chum and Coho spawning surveys.
• Walking and/or rafting long stretches of rivers and creeks, counting live Salmonids, redds, and carcasses.
• Sampling spawned out Chum carcasses by taking length, sex, scales, DNA, and otoliths.
• Recording survey data in the digital platform FTS and organizing collected biological data samples.
• Operating Adult Summer Chum traps and assisting at the Snow Creek Weir.
• Assisting with Broodstock collection and spawning for the Dungeness River Supplementation Program.
• Netting, handling, counting, and releasing live Salmonids from the traps.
• Properly identifying species and sex.
• Cleaning debris from traps and assessing trap integrity in higher flow conditions.
• Helping with trap installations and maintenance.
• Grounds maintenance at the Snow Creek Weir/trap sites/duty station field office.
• Organizing trap and survey data, and biological samples.
• Entering data into Microsoft Access databases and Excel spreadsheets.
• Performing quality control checks on trap and survey data.
• Communicating with project volunteers, the public, private landowners, and tribal co-managers.

Benefits

• 2% pay increase effective July 1, 2026 (listed as additional to the stated salary)
• Other benefits that WDFW employees may be eligible for (details available via 'Benefits' tab)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED